Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a receptacle for use in collecting and disposing of debris such as leaves, twigs, grass cuttings and the like. More particularly, it relates to a disposable bag which is held open and positioned to receive debris by a person, with the top of the bag mouth hung behind the person's shoulders and the bottom moved along the ground by the person's feet, engaged in stirrups secured to the bottom of the bag.
The widespread enactment of laws which prohibit the burning of leaves and other trash has created practical difficulties in the collection and disposal of loose debris. Although conventional plastic trash bags are frequently used for these tasks, they are not entirely satisfactory. The flexible nature of these bags has posed problems with handling and transport despite the use of an assortment of support structures for such bags. Examples of known prior art support devices for such trash bags are disclosed by and in Corsaut U.S. Pat. No. 4,664,348 and Gawedzinski U.S. Pat. No. 4,159,139. Even with such support structures, however, the use of plastic trash bags with known support devices involves considerable wasted effort owing to bending, stooping, lifting or carrying.
Others have proposed receptacles for collection or transport of debris which do not have all of the problems and inconveniences associated with plastic trash bags. See, for example, Ringer U.S. Pat. No. 3,747,653. Such devices, however, are frequently complex in their fabrication and awkward in their use, requiring that one hand be used to position and hold the device while lawn or other debris is being raked into the receptacle.
The present invention provides a novel bag for the collection and transport of debris which holds the mouth end of the bag in an open condition advantageous for filling and permits the free use of both hands for the raking operation. Since no ground support means are employed to prop the bag open, it can be used to collect debris in a variety of locations and it is not necessary to rake or sweep the debris into piles before collection. When the collection operation is completed, the bag is easily disposed in the manner of a conventional trash bag.